Rise of Uzushiogakure
by Vanex
Summary: Lovinaelita's Challenge: On the Nami no Kuni mission, Team 8 goes with Team 7. During the mission, both Naruto and Hinata disappear. They reappear again at the Chunin Exams, except they're Uzushio ninja. Full summary on profile. Harem list on profile.
1. Prologue

**Vanex:_ Hello all! This is yet another challenge fic. Seriously, you guys keep sending these to me. Anyway, this one was sent to me by lovinaelita. Consider this your birthday present from me, lovinaelita. Happy birthday! To be honest, I finished this prologue some time ago, but decided to release it on your birthday on purpose. Now then, it's on to the story!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Prologue**

Kushina Uzumaki is crying as she hugs her two precious newborn children. "Naruto. Mito. Mommy loves you both so much."

She feels weak, due to the fact that the Kyubi was recently ripped out of her body by that masked man, whoever he is. But, thanks to her Uzumaki vitality, she knows she'll survive. It'll take some time for her body to adapt to the lack of the Kyubi, but she'll be fine. All that matters to her, right now, is that the masked man and the Kyubi are stopped from destroying Konoha.

Suddenly, there is a yellow flash. Kushina's eyes widen. "Minato? What are you doing back here? Did you already stop the threat?"

Minato Namikaze sighs. "I was able to stop the masked man, but the Kyubi is still on the rampage. I have to take Naruto."

"Why would you need to take Naruto? What-?" Realization appears on her face. "You intend to make him the next Kyubi Jinchuriki."

"Yes."

"No!" Kushina hugs both children closer to herself. "Why would you condemn Naruto to the life of a Jinchuriki? There are horrors that come with that life that Naruto would have to face. I won't let you!"

Minato looks sadly at her. "I'm sorry, Kushina. I have no choice. I can't reseal the beast inside you, as your body is too weak to handle that. All we would succeed in that course, is allowing the Kyubi to reincarnate elsewhere. There are more problems that a woman would have to deal with as a host, compared to a man, which is the reason I choose Naruto to be the host instead of Mito."

Kushina cries harder, as she knows that this is the only option.

"Besides, you'll still be here to give Naruto the love he'll need to face the pain of being a Jinchuriki. You're more suited for that than I am, being the wonderful woman you are, and you'll be able to bond with him in a way I never could, due to you being the former host. I'm sorry, Kushina. I love you, and I love both Naruto and Mito. Goodbye."

Minato takes Naruto from Kushina and teleports away. Kushina cries harder as she cradles Mito.

Time passes. Soon enough, Kushina feels the power of the Kyubi vanish. She manages to get to her feet. "I need to get Naruto, before someone can hurt him." She starts to leave the hideout, still holding Mito, only to be surprised when an ANBU shows up. "Is something wrong?"

"Lady Kushina. I bring terrible news from the Third Hokage."

Kushina starts to feel dread. "What news?"

"I'm afraid, that something went wrong during the sealing. The infant's body couldn't handle the Kyubi's presence. His body was obliterated, taking the Kyubi with him. Your son is dead."

Kushina's eyes widen in horror, as she raises one hand to her mouth. More tears come pouring out of her eyes. "No. That can't be true."

"I'm sorry, Lady Kushina. It's the truth. He would have come personally to tell you the news, but he has to get the village back in order, due to the demise of the Fourth."

Kushina is barely able to keep her tears back. "Thank you for informing me. You can tell the Third Hokage that I'm leaving this village."

The ANBU is surprised. "Are you sure about that, Lady Kushina?"

"Yes. I can't stand being in this village, any longer. The village in which both my husband and son died. I'm leaving, and I'm taking my daughter with me."

The ANBU nods. "I understand, Lady Kushina. Where will you go?"

"I don't know yet. Please, leave me in peace. Go report to the Third Hokage."

The ANBU nods as he turns and leaves. However, instead of going to the Hokage tower, he only heads a short distance away, before removing the Konoha ANBU uniform, and switching it with a Root ANBU uniform. He then heads to a cave and enters it. He follows the passageway until he is under Konoha. He enters the secret Root base, and kneels before his leader. "Lord Danzo."

Danzo looks at his operative. "Report."

"I have told Kushina Uzumaki the lie about her son being dead. She is preparing to leave Konoha with her daughter as we speak."

"Excellent. With her out of the way, it'll be easier for me to make the Jinchuriki my weapon. Did she say where she was going?"

"No, sir. She hadn't decided where she was heading."

Danzo nods. "Very well. We'll let her be, as I doubt she'll ever want to be involved with Konoha or any news dealing with Konoha ever again. It's a shame that such a powerful kunoichi is leaving, but the prospect of gaining the Jinchuriki as my weapon outweighs that. You're dismissed."

The Root officer bows and leaves. Danzo walks over to the secret elevator that leads up into his home's basement.

*Scene Change*

Hiruzen sighs as he enters the meeting room, where the council, the clan heads, and the civilians in charge of civilian matters have gathered, wanting to know what happened. Hiruzen notes that one person is missing. "Where is Danzo?"

"Sorry, I'm late. I was held up."

They all turn to see Danzo enter the room.

Hiruzen sighs. "Now then, I'm sure you all want to know about what happened involving the Kyubi. Our Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the beast away into this child." He holds up the infant. "His name is Naruto Uzumaki and he is a hero for being the prison of the Kyubi." Hiruzen pauses, letting the info sink in. He smiles, thinking that the villagers will see Naruto as a hero, as Minato wished, but the smile fades when everyone in the room starts crying out.

"We must finish what the Fourth Hokage started!"

"Kill the demon!"

"Destroy him!"

Hiruzen is pissed. "Enough! How can you all say that? The seal was created by the Uzumaki clan, who are well-known for their sealing abilities and is powered by the Shinigami! You should all be ashamed!"

They don't listen, now deluding themselves into believing that Minato would want them to kill Naruto.

"Now then, I'm passing a law. If anyone who knows this secret speaks of it to anyone, or tries to harm Naruto in any way, the result will be interrogation, followed by execution. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone in the room nods, though they're already thinking of ways to sneak around the law.

Hiruzen stands up. "I'm going to take the boy to his mother, as I'm sure she's worried sick about her son."

Danzo stops him. "That won't be possible."

Hiruzen is shocked. "What do you mean?"

"The boy's mother has left Konoha, taking her daughter with her. She couldn't stand being the mother of a demon and fled."

Hiruzen falls back into his seat, shocked. "That can't be true. She would never do something like that."

"She already has."

Hiruzen gets up again. "I'm going to go see for myself."

*Scene Change*

Hiruzen arrives at the Namikaze hideout. "Kushina? Anyone home?" He's shocked to find that the hideout has been emptied and there is no sign of either Kushina or Mito. "She actually left. Why, Kushina? Why would you view your son as a demon? You were the previous host, so why?"

*Scene Change*

Kushina is standing outside Konoha, holding her daughter. She looks back up at the gates. "Goodbye, Konoha. I can't even look at you without thinking of both Minato and Naruto. Rest in peace, you two. I'm sorry Naruto, that you never even got a chance to live. I'll take some comfort in knowing that you're with Kami now, and that you'll be waiting for the day that Mito and I can join you. I love you, my precious son."

Kushina sheds some tears one final time, before turning away from Konoha, never to step within its walls again. Or so she thought.

**Vanex: _Once again, I think I've generated a lot of hate towards a character. This time, the unlucky bastard to receive the hate of all the readers is Danzo. Danzo, you will now get your prize!_**

**Danzo: _Which is?_**

**Vanex: _It's right in this room. _(Gestures to a door.)**

**(Danzo walks through the door. Vanex locks it behind him.)**

**Vanex: _Have fun being locked in a room with all my readers. Good thing that the room negates the ability to use chakra. I'm sure they're all happy to see Danzo. Now then, I'd better get to work on the next chapter!_ (Walks off.)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Vanex: _Hello all! Did you all enjoy beating the crap out of Danzo? I hope you did. (Grins evilly.)_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 1**

Twelve years later...

Hiruzen watches Iruka lecture Naruto about the different ranked missions, due to Naruto's outburst about wanting a mission above a D-Rank. However, Hiruzen knows the lecture is pointless, considering Naruto takes after Kushina in personality. He frowns, thinking about Kushina's departure again. Even now, after twelve years, he can't figure out a reason to explain Kushina abandoning Naruto. He did confirm that she departed from the east gate, thanks to the gate guard on duty at the time. He just can't figure out why.

He looks at Team 7 again, but then looks behind them to see Team 8 enter the room. An idea pops into his head.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a C-Rank mission, but it'll be done in conjunction with Team 8."

Team 8 stops where they are upon hearing that. Kurenai steps forward and bows to the Hokage. "What is the mission, Lord Hokage?" Kakashi also pays attention.

"It'll be a simple escort and guard mission. You're client is Tazuna, a bridge builder from Nami no Kuni. You are to escort him back home, and guard him until the completion of the bridge he is currently building."

Kakashi and Kurenai both nod, understanding the mission.

One hour later...

The two teams, along with their client, are walking south towards Nami no Kuni. Sakura is talking with Tazuna, Sasuke is brooding, Kiba and Akamaru are enjoying being outside of Konoha, Shino is just walking, Hinata is blushing next to Naruto, who is also enjoying being out of Konoha, and Kakashi and Kurenai are bringing up the rear, keeping an eye out for any trouble.

Kurenai notices that Kakashi is also sending subtle glares at Naruto. She sighs, knowing that Kakashi harbors hatred towards Naruto, due to the Kyubi attack that result in the death of Kakashi's sensei. She brought up her concerns when the Hokage announced the teams and senseis.

*Scene Change*

"_Team 7 will consist of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki. Their sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."_

_Kurenai stepped forward. "Lord Hokage, I have an objection about that team."  
_

"_What is the problem, Kurenai?"_

"_I'm concerned with Naruto Uzumaki being in a team under Kakashi. Considering their interactions in the past, I fear for the safety of the boy."_

"_I agree," said Asuma Sarutobi. "Putting those two together could pose a risk to the boy."  
_

"_I understand your concerns, you two. But, I took all that into account when deciding the teams and senseis. Due to tradition, Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha must be on the same team, to balance the teams. Also, Sasuke is reaching the age where the chances of him unlocking the Sharingan will rise. Kakashi is the best person to train Sasuke in the use of his Sharingan, and he'll need that training down the road."_

_The two nod in understanding, even though they don't like it. Hiruzen went on with announcing the teams, until Kakashi showed up, late as usual._

"_Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?"_

"_You're in charge of Team 7, consisting of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki."_

_Kakashi's eyes darkened at the mention of Naruto. "I understand, Lord Hokage."_

"_Good. All of you are dismissed, except for Kurenai and Asuma."_

_All of the other Jonin left. Asuma looked at the Hokage. "What's wrong, father?"_

"_Like you two, I don't trust Kakashi with Naruto's safety. So, I'm going to give you two a special mission. It's an S-Rank mission. Keep an eye on Kakashi. If you see him attempting to harm Naruto in any way whatsoever, arrest him immediately. If he tries to resist arrest, you two are authorized to incapacitate him by any means necessary, including death."_

_Both of their eyes widened, before they nodded._

"_Good. The ANBU will also be participating in this mission. You two are dismissed."_

*Scene Change*

Kurenai looks at Kakashi again. _'I hope you don't do anything foolish, Kakashi.'_

Naruto smiles at the fact that he is out of Konoha and away from the villagers. Even though they're on a mission, he allows himself to be a little more relaxed than he should as he talks to the shy girl next to him. The two have been friends since the Academy. She was one of the only people who would talk to him, though she always stuttered around him for the first few years, until he helped her overcome that. The only other people who really talked to him were Shikamaru and Choji, but neither are here, so he only has Hinata to talk to. "So, Hinata-chan, how are things on your team?"

"They're okay, Naruto-kun. Kurenai-sensei and Shino-san are okay. Kiba-san takes a little bit to get used to. What about your team?"

The smile drops off of Naruto's face. "Horrible. Sasuke is his usual arrogant self. Sakura does only two things: praise Sasuke and insult me. Kakashi is a horrible sensei. He hasn't taught us much of anything. Just teamwork exercises, even though it doesn't help us much with the fact my entire team hates me for no reason. Also, I think he's giving Sasuke special training, as he has Sasuke stay behind at the training field after every training session."

Hinata looks at him, shocked. "He hasn't taught you anything?"

"That's what I said."

While they are talking, they walk past a puddle on the ground. Naruto takes notice of it immediately, as does Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, and Kakashi.

After they walk past, two figures rise out of the puddle as it fades away. They both are wearing a strange gauntlet on one of their hands and the gauntlets are connected by a chain. They move fast, ensnaring both Kakashi and Kurenai in the chain. Pulling on the chain, it rips right through the two Jonin, tearing them to shreds. Sakura screams at the sight.

"Two down," says one of the two ninja.

The duo charge towards the others, but Naruto, Shino, and Hinata act quick, tricking the duo into snagging their chain on a tree, trapping them long enough for Sasuke and Kiba to knock the two out.

"Nice job, everyone."

They all turn to see Kakashi and Kurenai walk out from behind a tree, completely unharmed.

Sakura is shocked. "But, you two were killed!" She looks at their shredded corpses, only to see nothing but the shredded remains of two logs.

Kakashi looks at the two unconscious ninja. "The Demon Brothers. Two Chunin level missing ninja. Tazuna, you owe us an explanation."

Some time later...

Kakashi looks at the two teams. "This mission has been risen from a C-Rank to an A-Rank. We can either go back to Konoha, or continue on."

Kurenai looks at him. "We should return to Konoha. We are ill-equipped to handle an A-Rank mission."

"We'll be here if anything goes wrong."

Kurenai glares at him.

"Tell you what. I'll send a messenger hawk back to Konoha, asking for reinforcements."

Kurenai sighs. "Very well."

Kakashi sends the hawk and looks back at everyone. "Let's go. I want to reach Nami no Kuni as soon as possible."

Everyone nods as they continue walking.

Some time later...

The group has arrived at Nami no Kuni and are headed towards the town. Suddenly, Kakashi stops.

"Everybody, down!" he yells. Everyone drops down to the ground just as a giant sword flies over them, before lodging into a tree. They all look up to see a ninja standing on the handle of the sword. Kakashi glares at the ninja. "Zabuza Momochi, the Kirigakure no Kijin."

"You appear to be Kakashi of the Sharingan, and that woman appears to be Kurenai, the Genjutsu Mistress. Sorry, but the old man is mine."

As Kurenai steps next to Kakashi, Kakashi looks back at the two genin teams. "Surround and protect Tazuna. Do not enter this fight." He lifts up his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye. "Zabuza, fight us first."

"Ah, I already get to see the famous Sharingan. I'm honored. When I was a member of Kiri's assassin team, I kept a handbook. It included information on you. The man who has copied over 1,000 jutsu. Copy Ninja Kakashi. Now, let's end all the talking. I have to kill that old man. But, it seems I have to beat the two of you first." Zabuza quickly pushes off the tree with his sword, ending up standing on the nearby water. "Hiding in Mist Technique."

A thick mist rolls in, preventing everyone from seeing Zabuza. Kakashi takes a quick glance at the others. "He'll come after me first. As a member of Kiri, he was known as an expert at silent killing. You don't even notice until you're already dead. Be careful."

Naruto notices something. "The mist is getting thicker!"

Zabuza's voices rings out from the mist. "Eight choices."

Sakura looks around in confusion. "What?"

"Liver, Lungs, Spine, Clavicle vein, Neck vein, Brain, Kidneys, Heart. Which one should I go after?"

Zabuza suddenly appears between Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna. But before hi can attack them, Kakashi stabs him with a kunai. Everyone quickly moves away from the two. Suddenly, Zabuza dissolves into water as the real Zabuza appears out of the mist and slices Kakashi in half, only for him to dissolve into water as well. Kakashi appears behind Zabuza, placing a kunai at his neck. "It's over."

Zabuza laughs. "It's over? You don't get it. There's no way you can beat me with your monkey-like imitations. But that was impressive of you. But..." Zabuza dissolves into water as another Zabuza appears behind Kakashi. "I'm also not that easy to beat."

Zabuza attempts to cut Kakashi in half again, but Kakashi dodges the attack. Kurenai rushes over to join the fight. However, thanks to all the water, Zabuza has a trick up his sleeve.

"Water Prison Technique!" Both Kakashi and Kurenai are ensnared in spheres of water. "I now have you both in my inescapable special prisons. Now, I'll finish things with you two later. First, I'm going to take care of them," he says, looking over at the Genin and Tazuna. "Water Clone Technique!"

A water clone of Zabuza appears. The clone looks at the Genin. "Hehe, you are all wearing forehead protectors and acting like real ninjas. But you know what? A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death. Basically, once you're good enough to be listed in my handbook, then you can start calling yourself a ninja. You guys should not be referred to as ninjas."

He moves fast, striking Naruto and sending him flying back as his headband falls off his head. Kakashi cries out to the Genin. "You guys! Take Tazuna and run away! You have no chance at beating him! As long as he's keeping both me and Kurenai in these prisons, he can't move! Also, the water clone can't go far from the original body. Just run away now!"

Naruto sits up, looking at Zabuza's water clone. _'This is a Jonin, a real ninja. At this rate, I'm really going to die, even with the Kyubi sealed in me and with the gift she gave me!'_ As he gets to his knees he bumps his left hand on the ground, reminding him of his injury, and of the promise he made when he made that injury. He gets back to his feet and charges at Zabuza. Zabuza smacks Naruto away again, causing him to land back near the group, where Naruto reveals that he was only retrieving his forehead protector. He stands back up and glares at Zabuza, tying the forehead protector back on. "Hey, you eyebrow-less freak. Put this in your handbook. The man who will one day become Hokage. Konoha ninja, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Zabuza's eyes widen. "Wait. What did you say your name was?"

Naruto gives him a questioning look. "Naruto Uzumaki. Why do you ask?"

The clone stabs his sword into the ground as he walks over to Naruto and looks closely at him. "Well, this changes everything." The clone dissolves and Zabuza releases his hold over the two Jonin. "You win this round. For now, I need to report to my superior, concerning something very important."

Kakashi looks at him. "What does Gato have to do with Naruto?"

Zabuza laughs. "I'm only a spy, placed in Gato's organization. I work for someone else. I will retreat for now. We'll meet again. Kakashi, Kurenai, Naruto."

Zabuza teleports away. The Genin and Tazuna run over to the two Jonin. "Should we let him escape?" asks Shino.

Kakashi nods. "Yes. His target is no longer the bridge builder. Still, the fact he's working for someone else worries me."

Kurenai nods in agreement. "As is the fact that this person would have an interest in Naruto. We should get moving and reach town before nightfall."

*Scene Change*

Zabuza and Haku are standing in a clearing, where Haku summons an ice mirror, connecting to one located in a room in a village on the verge of revealing its rebirth to the world. A figure walks in front of the mirror. "You have something to report, Zabuza?"

"Yes, Lady Uzukage. We were carrying out an assignment from Gato. However, the target was protected by two ninja teams from Konoha, one of them being led by Kakashi Hatake."

The Uzukage's eyes narrow. "I told you, I don't want to hear anything to do with Konoha."

"I'm not finished. One of them was a twelve-year-old boy with blond, spiky hair, blue eyes, and had whisker marks on his face. He said his name is Naruto Uzumaki."

The Uzukage's eye widen. "That's impossible. He died twelve years ago."

"I took a careful look at him myself. I'm certain it's him."

The Uzukage hunches over in shock for a few moments, before straightening back up. "Have they seen your face, Haku?"

Haku shakers his head. "No, Lady Uzukage. They don't even know that I was even there."

"Good. Zabuza, you'll pretend that you suffered injuries from Kakashi. This will keep Gato off your back for a while. Haku, you will be keeping an eye on Naruto. Try to befriend him and see if you can learn anything about him. Anything to explain how he's alive and how his life has been. My daughter and I will be coming to Nami no Kuni to confirm that he really is Naruto."

Zabuza and Haku both nod. "We understand, Lady Uzukage."

"Good. I'll talk to you both when I get there. Out."

Haku dissolves the mirror and looks at Zabuza. Zabuza sighs. "Well, I'm going to need some injuries, Haku."

Haku nods. "I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama." He starts attacking Zabuza.

*Scene Change*

In the room with the ice mirror, the Uzukage looks at the blank mirror for a few minutes before a tear slips out of her eye.

"Mom? You're crying! What's wrong?"

The Uzukage turns to look at her daughter. "Get ready to leave the village, Mito. I'm just gotten a report from Zabuza that your twin brother is alive and in Nami no Kuni."

**Vanex: _That wraps up this chapter. I bet some of you like the fact I have Zabuza and Haku working __for Kushina. And now she's on her way to Nami no Kuni. I can safely predict that most, if not all, of you are looking forward to the Uzumaki reunion, which still won't be for a little bit. See you all next time!_**


	3. Chapter 2

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here's the next chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 2**

One day later...

Standing in a forest just outside the village in Nami no Kuni, Kakashi and Kurenai stare at their teams.

Kurenai clears her throat. "Okay teams, you've been full of questions since before we reached the village and now you'll be given answers. Kakashi and I believe that there's a chance that we won't have to worry about Zabuza coming after Tazuna again, as he backed off and let us go instead of defeating us. It seems he's a plant placed in Gato's organization by someone else. However, he might be ordered to continue working for Gato, so he might come after Tazuna again. We also believe that whoever Zabuza really works for might have him capture or kill Naruto."

Sakura is confused. "Why would he come after Naruto? He's just the dead last! There's nothing special about him!"

Kurenai shakes her head. "There are reasons that people would come after Naruto that none of you are aware of. I can't speak of them, as they are classified."

Naruto looks down as she says this, putting a hand over the Kyubi seal.

Kurenai continues. "Remember when Zabuza backed off? It was after Naruto told him his name. He obviously knew enough of Naruto to know that the person he works for would be interested in knowing that Naruto is here. As such, Zabuza may return with Naruto as his new target, so Kakashi and I are going to step up the training of our respective teams. This is to prepare us for any upcoming battles. After all, even if Zabuza is no longer after Tazuna, there may be another Jonin level missing nin in Gato's forces. If Zabuza betrays him, Gato is sure to send in that ninja if he or she exists. Now then, come with me Team 8."

Kurenai leads Team 8 away as Kakashi looks at Team 7. "Okay, team. Before we get started, I want to talk with you three about chakra."

*Scene Change*

Haku has just gotten the injured Zabuza into his bed, when the door opens. He turns to look at the two samurai bodyguards who walked in, along with a short man in a suit.

Gato looks at Zabuza and Haku. "So even you have come back defeated. It looks like the Kirigakure ninja are pretty pathetic. You can't even avenge your men? And you call yourself a devil? Don't make me laugh."

Zabuza remains silent.

Gato walks towards Zabuza. "Hey. There's no need to stay silent." He reaches towards Zabuza. "How about-"

Haku suddenly reaches out and grabs Gato's wrists, an angry look in his eyes. "Don't touch Zabuza-sama with your dirty hands!" The bodyguards move to defend their boss, but suddenly find themselves having their swords pointing at their necks, held by Haku. "You shouldn't do that. I'm pissed off right now."

Gato, despite the fact he's sweating heavily, tries to reestablish his authority. "One more time! If you fail one more time, you won't be welcome here anymore! Remember that!" Gato quickly leaves with his bodyguards.

Zabuza looks at Haku. "Haku, you didn't have to do that."

"I know. But, since I'm going to be busy on my mission for Lady Kushina, I didn't want to leave you here having to put up with him."

Zabuza laughs.

*Scene Change*

Kushina looks over the railing of the boat towards the horizon. "Naruto. Is it really you, my baby boy? Is it possible that you've really been alive this whole time?"

"Mom?"

Kushina turns her head to see Mito walking up to her. "What's wrong Mito?"

"Well, I've been thinking about my brother. How could he be alive, Mom?"

Kushina looks back at the horizon. "I don't know, Mito. The leading theory in my head is one that I don't like at all."

"What is it?"

"My leading theory is that the Third Hokage had that ANBU lie to me about Naruto's death."

Mito's eyes widen. "But you told me he was a great man who believed in the Will of Fire! Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know. The Third Hokage was a friend to both your father and me. I sincerely hope he isn't involved in this conspiracy. But, I do have a second theory."

"What's that?"

"The ANBU that told me about Naruto's death was an imposter. The problem with that theory is that the person did have the ANBU tattoo. I couldn't sense a henge, but then again, I was weak at the time."

Mito is puzzled. "But if it was an imposter, why didn't he just kill both you and me? Why would he leave us alive and have us believe that Naruto was dead?"

"If we were killed, Konoha would have investigated our deaths, even though they had just come out of fighting the Kyubi. We are the family of the Fourth Hokage after all."

There is a moment of silence. "Mom?"

"What?"

"I'm nervous about meeting my brother. How will he react to us?"

Kushina nods in understanding. "Good question. It could go either way. The best case scenario is that he will welcome us with open arms, but that's only if he understands that we didn't actually abandon him and that we truly love him and want him in our lives. The worst case scenario is that he will despise us, reject us as family. He'll believe that we abandoned him, that we don't really love him, and are only coming back due to a guilty conscience. Who knows what he's been through in the last twelve years?"

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"You wouldn't understand. If Naruto is alive, that means the sealing was successful. That means Naruto is the current Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko. Jinchuriki are treated horribly in their villages. I speak from experience. However, it's worse off for Naruto. He contains the beast that killed so many loved ones that night. I wouldn't be surprised if the villagers took out their grief and rage on Naruto."

Mito gasps in horror at the thought. "And we left him to face all that alone."

Kushina nods, her face grim. "We have a lot of time to make up with Naruto. No matter what, I won't rest until he's in my arms again. I won't rest until Naruto is where he belongs. With us. With his family. With the people who love him. Our family will be whole, and whoever is responsible for taking Naruto from us will pay. I promise you that."

Mito stares at her mother in awe as the boat continues on it's way.

*Scene Change*

In Konoha, the Hokage reads the scroll sent to him from Kakashi and Kurenai. He pushes the button on his desk for the intercom. "Kasumi, could you send Team 9 to my office, please?"

He didn't have to wait long before Team 9 entered. Maito Gai gives his usual smile. "What do you need from us, Lord Hokage?"

"I recently got a scroll from Teams 7 & 8 about their mission. The mission parameters were false and the mission has risen to A-Rank. I'm sending your team to back them up."

Gai gives the Hokage a thumbs up. "Don't worry about a thing, Lord Hokage! My team and I will use our powers of youth to assist Kakashi and Kurenai's teams! Team 9, move out!"

Team 9 leaves the office. Hiruzen sighs before pulling a certain orange book out of his desk. "Time to relax for a while."

*Scene Change*

Naruto is panting as he looks up at the tree he had been using. Kakashi took Sasuke with him elsewhere, while instructing Naruto and Sakura to learn tree climbing. Sakura finished on her first attempt and ran off to find Kakashi and Sasuke, leaving Naruto alone.

"Hello there. What is a ninja doing out here in a forest like this?"

Naruto turns to see a black-haired girl in a pink kimono walk towards him. "How did you know I was a ninja?"

"The headband gave it away. My name is Haku."

Naruto grins. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

Haku chuckles at Naruto's enthusiasm. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing out here?"

"I was training."

Haku is puzzled. "By yourself? Shouldn't you be with a team?"

Naruto sighs. "Yeah, except I have the worst team ever. One of my teammates, Sasuke Uchiha, is an arrogant bastard who believes that he is above everyone else, due to being an Uchiha. My other teammate, Sakura Haruno, is his biggest fangirl. She doesn't care about training. All she cares about is trying to seduce her way into Sasuke's pants. My sensei, Kakashi Hatake, hates the fact that I'm alive and only cares about training the Uchiha. Right now, Kakashi is training Sasuke, while Sakura is watching them."

Haku frowns. "That's not how Konoha teams are supposed to work. The sensei is supposed to teach all the genin of the team, not just the one that is his or her favorite."

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "And how is a civilian of Nami no Kuni so knowledgeable about how ninja teams work?" Naruto pulls out a kunai. "Who are you, really?"

Haku curses his slip. "Okay, I'll tell you. Just put away the kunai. I'm not your enemy."

Naruto nods as he puts away the kunai.

Haku clears his throat. "Like I said, my name is Haku. I work for Zabuza-sama, who you've already met. Before you pull that kunai back out, know that if I was actually your enemy, I would have killed you already."

Naruto freezes when she says this, before dropping his hand from his kunai holster. "What do you want with me?"

"I'm just interested in getting to know you, Naruto. It's at the request of the person I work for."

"What does this person want with me?"

Haku starts to answer, but stops. "Actually, this is something you'll want to here from her instead of me."

"Wait, this person is a woman and she's coming here?"

"Yep. Just to see you and confirm you are who you say you are."

This confuses Naruto. "Confirm I'm who I say I am? I'm just a random orphan from Konoha named Naruto Uzumaki. Why would it matter to her if I really am Naruto Uzumaki?"

Haku looks at him. "So you don't know who your parents are?"

"No. Nobody in Konoha knows. Then again, if they did, they wouldn't tell me anyway. You avoided my question."

"I can't answer if for the same reason as before. You'll want to hear it from Lady Uzukage."

"Lady Uzukage?"

"Yes. I work for the leader of a recently rebuilt village called Uzushiogakure. Ask your fellow ninja about it. Konoha was an ally of Uzushio. But, don't tell them it's back. They will reveal their return soon enough."

Naruto nods. "Very well, I guess."

Haku notices that it's getting late. "We'll continue our talk tomorrow, okay Naruto?"

"Sure."

Haku begins to walk away before stopping. "Oh, by the way, I'm a boy."

Naruto's mouth drops. "What? But you look like a girl!"

Haku chuckles. "It's due to my clan. We are born looking very feminine. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

Haku walks away. Naruto ponders for a few moments, before turning to head back to the house.

Some time later...

The remaining members of Team 7, as well as the members of Team 8, have returned to the house. Kurenai notices that Naruto is deep in thought. "Is something wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto looks up at her. "Yes. Do you know of a village called Uzushiogakure?"

Kurenai nods. "Yes. They were our allies back during the Third Shinobi War, but they were wiped out by Kirigakure."

"Why were they wiped out?"

"The main clan of the village was feared for their knowledge of seals. They were masters of the art of fuinjutsu. It's said that Jiraiya of the Sanin and the Fourth Hokage learned their fuinjutsu skills from that clan."

Naruto is curious. "What was the name of that clan?"

Kurenai thinks about it for a minute, before her eyes widen. "Now that I think about it, they were the Uzumaki clan."

Everyone else is paying attention by this point. Naruto looks at Kurenai. "Are you sure about the name of the clan?"

Kurenai nods. "Positive. It was the Uzumaki clan. But they were wiped out along with their village, so you're probably not actually related to them."

"Were any of them ever in Konoha?"

"Two of them. The first was the wife of the First Hokage, Mito Uzumaki. She's been dead for years. The second was Kushina Uzumaki, the wife of the Fourth Hokage. She hasn't been seen in twelve years."

"What happened to her?"

"Well, from what I heard, she and the Fourth Hokage were expecting twins. She gave birth on the same night as the Kyubi attack. When the battle was over, both the Fourth and his son were listed as dead. Lady Kushina left Konoha in grief, taking her daughter with her. Like I said, she hasn't been seen since. There was one odd thing about that."

"What was it?"

"While the Fourth's body was found and the cause of death was listed, his son's was not. No body was found, and no cause of death was listed. All that's written about the child was that he died. There wasn't even a name written. If the boy was alive, he would be your age."

Naruto's eyes widen as he thinks of something. "The boy is listed as dead, even though no body was ever found. If no body was ever found, then who the hell declared him dead? Is it possible that the boy could still be alive and someone covered that up?"

Kurenai looks at him in shock. "Well, it's possible. But who would gain anything from doing so?"

"I don't know. But I do know this. The child was born on October 10, during the Kyubi attack, just as I was. He disappears that same night and is declared dead. On the same day, I turn up in the orphanage, with no record of who my parents are or where I came from. There isn't even a description of whoever brought me to the orphanage. I just happen to have the same surname as Kushina Uzumaki, and I have the same hair and eye color of the Fourth Hokage. Is it possible that I am the lost son of the Fourth Hokage?"

Everyone stares at him wide-eyed, before Sakura and Kiba burst out laughing. Kiba points at him. "You, the son of the Fourth Hokage? There is no way you could be his son! You're too much of a loser!"

Sakura nods. "Yeah, you're the dead last! Besides, if you are his son, why would it have been covered up? There's no reason that someone would!"

Kurenai sighs. "She has a point. Why would it be covered up? Though I admit, there are some strange coincidences."

Hinata speaks up from the chair she's sitting on. "Um, we could always try to find Lady Kushina and ask her."

Kurenai nods. "True. She could still be alive out there. If anyone would know, it would be her. I'll talk to the Third Hokage when we get back to Konoha."

Naruto nods, though he's still deep in thought. _'Is it possible? Could I be the son of the Fourth Hokage? But then, why would he seal the Kyubi in his own son? But if I am his son, they why would it have been covered up? My life would have been much better if the village knew!"_

Sasuke is brooding in a corner of the room. _'The dobe being the son of a Hokage? Yeah, right. Even if he is, he's still nothing compared to an Uchiha!'_

Kakashi is leaning against a wall. His fists tighten. _'No! You aren't Minato-sensei's son! The boy died that night and you stole his body, you demon! I won't let you take away the last vestiges of the boy's identity! I'll kill you! Then, Minato-sensei and the real Naruto can rest in peace!'_

**Vanex: _Well, Naruto stumbled onto the truth, but has no way at the moment to be sure it's the truth. You people are probably still screaming at me to hurry up and reunite Naruto's family, as well as screaming at me for having them stumble on the truth, only to have it shot down. I better go hide from the possible rage directed at me. See you all next time! (Runs away.)_**


	4. Chapter 3

**Vanex: _(Looking around.) Is it safe? It looks safe. Okay then! (Sits down in his chair.)_ _Hello all! Well, it's 2012 now. So, I thought I'd start off the new year with a new chapter. Enjoy!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 3**

The days of training pass one by one. For Kakashi's team, it started out the same, until Kurenai, who had been informed by Hinata about Kakashi's training methods, decided to train Naruto after Kakashi abandoned him. (Sakura refused the training.) Each day, after training, Naruto would meet with Haku. A definite friendship formed between them as they talked with each other about their lives. But then, shortly after Inari brought up suffering, something happened.

Hinata walks through the forest, trying to find Naruto after he had stormed out of the house. She couldn't blame him for being angry at what Inari had said. Inari honestly thinks that no one could have been suffering worse than him. Inari has no idea of what Naruto has gone through and will continue to go through as long as he lives in Konoha.

She is brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Naruto training. Sure enough, he is training hard, pushing himself as far as he can go. He notices her and stops, walking over to her. "What's up, Hinata-chan?"

"Naruto-kun, you shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard. I know what Inari said angered you, but you shouldn't let it get to your head."

Naruto sighs. "I know. It's just that it irks me that the brat is so ignorant of the world and the fact that there are people who have suffered more than him!"

Hinata smiles sadly at him. "Come on, Naruto-kun. Let's go on a walk. It'll help you clear your mind."

Naruto nods and allows Hinata to wrap her arm in his as they walk off.

*Scene Change*

Back at the house, Kakashi stands up. "I'm going to go patrol the bridge. Gato may try some method of sabotage, like explosives."

Kurenai nods as Kakashi leaves.

*Scene Change*

Zabuza, now fully healed, stretches. "Ah, it feels good to be back at full strength."

Suddenly, a feeling comes over him. He looks over at Haku, who just gives him a look. "Zabuza-sama."

"I know. She's here. We better go meet her."

*Scene Change*

Kushina sneezes as she and Mito get off the boat. She looks around the only village of Nami no Kuni. "This village is an example of how the world is affected by cruel people like Gato."

Mito shakes her head. "Why must there be people like Gato? Why must there be people who like to make people suffer?"

"Who knows? But I know what I plan to do to that kind of person." She suddenly turns to her left. "Zabuza. Haku."

The two appear right where she was looking. They bow to her. "Lady Uzukage," says Zabuza.

"Report on your mission, Haku."

They all stand there for a few minutes as Haku describes all of his conversations with Naruto. "And that's the last time I talked to him, Lady Uzukage."

Kushina nods, her fists clenched in anger at the things she learned about Naruto's childhood. "Let's go. I want to see him now."

The other three nod and leave with Kushina, searching for Naruto.

*Scene Change*

Naruto and Hinata's walk leads them to the bridge. They stand on the edge looking out at the water. "Thank you, Hinata-chan. I needed to clear my head."

She giggles. "No problem, Naruto-kun. You are my best friend."

The two continued to stand there for a few minutes, until they hear someone walking towards them. They turn to see Kakashi standing there, glaring at Naruto. Naruto gives him a look. "Is something wrong, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi clenches his fists as he thinks back to when Naruto asked about Uzushio. "I won't let you win, demon. You've stolen Naruto's body. You've stolen his name. I won't let you steal his heritage as well!" He prepares his original move. "Lightning Cutter!"

Hinata's eyes widen. "What are you doing, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi charges at Naruto. Due to his Jonin level speeds, there is no way Naruto can dodge in time. The attack strikes Naruto in the chest. Naruto screams in pain. Kakashi smirks. He also hears a female voice scream, but assumes it was Hinata. "The real Naruto and Minato-sensei can finally rest in peace with your death, demon. Goodbye!" He tosses Naruto over the edge of the bridge and into the water below. He then quickly jumps back to avoid the attack of an enraged Hinata. "So, you are a demon lover? I doubt Hiashi will miss you. I'd heard about how ashamed he was at having a weakling for a daughter. Fine. You can join your beloved demon in hell!" He smacks her, causing her to fall off the bridge as well. He turns to leave, pulling out his book as he does so. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed a group of four rushing down and around the bridge to get to the water.

Kushina's group had arrived just in time to see Kakashi attack Naruto. Kushina had screamed in horror and had already began running to get around the bridge and into the water when Kakashi had struck Hinata. Mito stays on the shore as Kushina, Zabuza, and Haku run onto the water. They catch up to Hinata and Zabuza grabs her. He turns to head back to Mito as Kushina and Haku try to catch up to Naruto. Kushina's eyes widen when she looks ahead of Naruto. "Oh, no."

Naruto is being dragged towards a waterfall. Haku knows they can't reach him in time. "Lady Uzukage."

Kushina ignores him and summons her chakra chains, quickly sending the chains to grab onto Naruto. Just before he goes over the waterfall, the chains grab him, pulling him to Kushina. Kushina's eyes widen when she sees his injury. "Haku!" Both her and Haku quickly jump to shore, when Mito and Zabuza join them. Naruto is bleeding from his injury. Haku quickly starts trying to heal Naruto. Kushina has Naruto's head on her lap as the tears pour out of her eyes. "No! I can't lose him here! Please, Kurama! I know you can hear me! Save my son, please!"

*Scene Change*

Inside Naruto's mindscape, Kurama, aka the Kyubi, laughs. "Well, well. I never thought I would see the day where Kushina begs me for help. She must really love this boy. Very well."

*Scene Change*

Kushina and Haku watch as a red chakra appears around the wound, healing it at a faster rate than normal. Kushina sighs in relief. "Thank you, Kurama." She then looks over at Zabuza. "How's the girl?"

"She's fine. She's just unconscious. Probably hit her head when she fell."

Kushina nods and watches as the injury closes. "Okay, we need to move Naruto away from here. A hospital is a bad idea, cause they will find out that Naruto is a jinchuriki and we don't need that bit of info spreading. I can't take him to your hideout, cause that would blow your cover with Gato. His client's house is also a bad idea. If his sensei tried to kill him, then I don't trust the other Konoha ninja."

Zabuza looks at her. "You could always take him to a hotel and claim he fell asleep. Just clean up the blood on his outfit and no one will know."

Kushina nods. "That seems to be the only option we have. Bring the girl with us."

*Scene Change*

Kurenai looks up as Kakashi comes back into the house. "Find anything?"

"No. No explosives. Anyway, I'm going to go read my book for a while."

As Kakashi walks off, Shino walks up to Kurenai. "Sensei, Naruto-san and Hinata-san haven't returned yet."

"Yes. I noticed. Get Kiba. We're going to go look for them."

*Scene Change*

Hinata groans as she wakes up. The first thing she sees is the ceiling of an unfamiliar room. She sits up to see Zabuza and Haku looking at her. "You two saved me?"

Haku nods. "Not just you. Look."

Hinata turns to see two red-haired women sitting next to a bed with Naruto lying on the bed, still unconscious. "Naruto-kun! Is he okay?"

The two women turn to look at her. The older one smiles. "He's going to be fine. He's just sleeping. I can tell by your eyes that you are a Hyuga. Tell me, how close are you to Naruto? How close are you to my son?"

Hinata's eyes widen. "You're Naruto-kun's mother?"

The woman nods. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki, leader of the rebuilt Uzushiogakure."

The red-haired girl grins in the same style as Naruto. "And I'm his twin sister, Mito!"

"So, Naruto-kun's suspicions are true. He is the son of the Fourth Hokage."

Kushina's face becomes grim. "I've been informed of his life in Konoha. They won't get away with the injustice done to Naruto. I can promise you that. What's your name?"

"Hinata Hyuga."

"Ah. The heiress. Anyway, you didn't answer my earlier question. How close are you to Naruto?"

"He's my best friend. He saved me from my own insecurities and helped me feel better about myself. I owe him everything. I need to know something. Is it true that you left Konoha believing Naruto-kun was dead?"

Kushina looks back at Naruto, sadly. "Yes. I was tricked. And now I know the truth. I will do everything in my power to make it up to Naruto for not being there when he needed me." She looks back at Hinata. "I intend to take him back with me to Uzushio. I refuse to allow him to remain in Konoha after what they did to him. What about you? You could come with us. I'm sure Naruto would love to have a friend he trusts with him."

"But, I'm a main branch Hyuga. The Hyuga clan will push for war with you just because I'm not sealed. Even if the war doesn't happen, the Hyuga will go through whatever it takes to kill or capture me."

"True, but we Uzumaki are masters of seals and sealing techniques. We were feared because of that. Coming up with a counter to the Hyuga Clan's seal is easy, allowing us a way to barter with Hiashi."

Hinata sits back, thinking about Kushina's offer. A chance to start over, free of Konoha and it's bullshit. A chance to be free of her cruel family. She comes to a decision. "I'll agree to come only if Naruto-kun wants to go with you. You have no guarantee he'll want to come with you."

"I know. I hope to talk him into it." She looks down at Naruto again. "Every motherly instinct in my body is screaming at me to take him into my arms and never let go." She caresses the whisker marks on his cheek. "Naruto. Mommy loves you very much." She leans down and kisses him on the cheek, before getting up. "Zabuza. Haku."

The two bow before her. "Yes, Lady Uzukage?" asks Haku.

"Thanks to you two, I have more than enough evidence to prove Gato's crimes. You two are going to destroy his organization."

Zabuza smirks. "We understand."

"Go."

Zabuza and Haku leave to follow their orders. Kushina looks at Hinata. "I can't return you to your teammates for the moment. At this time, Kakashi believes that both you and Naruto are dead. If you walk in the door, Kakashi will realize that if you survived than Naruto might have survived as well. However, if he continues to believe Naruto is dead, you are a witness to his crime. He'll try to kill you again to silence you."

"What if I tell my sensei about what happened?"

"It'll be your word versus the word of a Jonin. It's more likely that whatever lie Kakashi comes up with will be believe over you. You best bet is to stay here and let them believe you and Naruto are dead. If Naruto turns down the offer to come with me, I'll return you both to your teams and accompany you to Konoha to insure that Kakashi faces justice for attempting to kill both you and Naruto. If he does agree to come with me, than it might be best to let Konoha believe that you are dead for now, at least until I can insure that they can't force me to hand you two back to them."

Hinata nods.

"Well, then. I'm going to get us some food. How does ramen sound? I hope you like ramen, cause ramen is the greatest food there is!"

Hinata stares at her, before giggling.

"What?"

"I can see where Naruto gets his love for ramen."

Kushina grins. "That's good. I wonder what else he got from me?" She leaves the room, pondering that.

Hinata looks over at Mito, who's been sitting quietly and just watching the exchange between Hinata and Kushina. "So, Mito, if I tell you about myself, will you tell me about yourself?"

*Scene Change*

The other members of Team 8 have arrived at the bridge, having followed the scents of Naruto and Hinata. Kiba looks back at Kurenai. "The scent stops here, Kurenai-sensei. I also can pick up a third scent here. It's Kakashi-san's scent."

Kurenai's eyes widen. "Can you tell when Kakashi was here, compared to when Naruto and Hinata were? I know that your mother did train you how to tell how old a scent is."

Kiba nods. "I can, Kurenai-sensei. The scents of Naruto and Hinata-chan are just slightly older than Kakashi-san's, by less than a minute. Whatever happened to them, Kakashi-san was here to see it." Suddenly, Kiba quickly turns to the left. "Wait! I can smell blood!" He takes off, heading down the shoreline. Kurenai and Shino quickly follow him. They arrive at an area further down the shoreline, with a puddle of blood on the ground.

Kurenai stares at the blood. "I have a bad feeling that this blood belongs to either Naruto or Hinata." She pulls out tweezers and uses it to take one of the blades of grass with blood on it. "Kiba, can you pick up any scents here?"

"Yes. Two of the scents are really weak, though. I think they might be Naruto and Hinata-chan, but I can't be sure."

Kurenai nods her head. "If they fell in the water, their scents would be hard to pick up."

"There are four other scents here. One of them matches that Zabuza guy."

Kurenai curses to herself.

"The second scent belongs to a guy. The last two belong to women. This is odd. The scents of the two women are similar to Naruto."

"Did you pick up any of these scents back at the bridge where Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi were?"

"No."

"How old are these scents?"

"They were here within two minutes of the scents on the bridge."

Kurenai sighs. "That shoots out the theory that Zabuza and his three allies attacked the two. What do you think, Shino?"

Shino ponders. "Based on the current evidence, my theory would be that Kakashi attacked Naruto-san and Hinata-san. The attack caused the two to fall into the water. Somehow, they managed to end up here, where they encountered Zabuza and his cohorts. Since you have previously stated that Zabuza might want to capture Naruto, he most likely has done so, along with Hinata. I can't say for sure if they are alive or dead, nor whether it was Kakashi or Zabuza's group that caused the injury that led to this puddle of blood."

Kurenai nods. "That makes sense. However, except for his scent, we have no solid evidence to convict Kakashi. When we get back to the house, we'll inform them about the disappearance of Naruto and Hinata. We'll tell them that we suspect that they were captured by Zabuza. Don't mention anything we found here to Kakashi. I want to confirm who this blood belongs to first by sending it back to Konoha along with a message to the Hokage. Kiba, can you track the scents of Zabuza and his cohorts?"

"Yes, but they head back towards the village. There are so many scents there, that it will be impossible to keep following for the moment."

Kurenai nods. "Right. Let's head back."

*Scene Change*

Naruto can hear two women talking and laughing. He can recognize one of the voices as Hinata, but the other voice is that of a stranger.

That stranger's voice cries out. "I think he's waking up!"

Naruto groans as he opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is Hinata looking down at him. "Hinata-chan? What's going on?"

"We were attacked by Kakashi, remember?"

"Right. That son of a bitch is going to pay!" He sits up too fast and cringes in pain.

Hinata forces him to lie down again. "Take it easy, Naruto-kun. You're still healing from the injury. Listen Naruto-kun. Remember your theory from before? About the Fourth Hokage?"

Naruto nods. "Yeah, what about it?"

"You were right." She looks over to Naruto's right. He turns his head to see a red-haired girl looking at him with a nervous smile.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Mito. Mito Namikaze. I'm your twin sister."

Naruto's eyes widen. His head drops, causing his hair to hide his eyes.

Hinata immediately knew what she had to do. "Mito-san, could you give Naruto-kun and me a moment alone? Go try to find Lady Kushina."

Mito looks at Hinata, confused. "I guess so." Mito gets up and leaves the room.

Hinata looks at Naruto. "Naruto-kun, talk to me."

Naruto keeps his head down. "I don't know what to feel, Hinata-chan. I find out that I'm not an orphan, but I feel like they abandoned me when I needed them the most! Part of me hates them for turning their backs on me!"

Hinata glares at him. "Naruto-kun, you are going to listen to me and listen to me good! They did not abandon you! They were tricked into believing you were dead! If they had known you were alive, they would have taken you with them in a heartbeat! Naruto-kun, you always told me that the one thing you wanted more than anything was a family. It's been handed to you on a silver plate. They're here and want you to be with them. Don't throw away this chance, Naruto-kun. Don't throw away the family that wants you back."

Naruto nods while keeping his head lowered. "Help me up, Hinata-chan."

Hinata nods and does so. Once Naruto is standing, she goes over to the door and opens in. "Come in, Mito-san."

Mito walks back in and faces Naruto, who still has his head lowered. "Brother?"

"Please. I need to know one thing."

Mito gives him a worried look. "What is it, brother?"

"Did our mother know I was alive twelve years ago? Or did she really leave thinking I was dead?"

"She believed you were dead. There's a memorial to you and Dad back home. We heard from Zabuza that you were alive, so we came to find you and bring you home with us, where you should have been since the beginning." Mito starts crying, thinking about the things she was told that Naruto went through. "I'm so sorry that we didn't realize the truth sooner."

Naruto raises his head. Tears are sliding down his whiskered cheeks. "Sister!"

"Brother!"

The two rush forward into a hug, crying on each others shoulder. Hinata smiles at the scene.

"I'm back! It took some time to find a place in this village that sells ramen, but I managed to-" The voice trails off. All of them turn to see Kushina standing in the doorway, holding a bag and looking at Naruto. She sets the bag down. "Naruto?"

More tears pour out of Naruto's eyes. "Mommy?" His voice sounds higher, almost like he was a five-year-old again.

Kushina nods, crying as well. "My little Naruto." She holds her arms out. "Come to Mommy."

Naruto sprints into her arms. Her arms wrap around him, refusing to let go. He could feel a warmth, being in her arms. A warmth that breaks through his mental barriers, causing him to remember everything the village did to him. He cries it all out into her shirt. Every single moment of sadness in his life.

Kushina comforts him. "It's okay, Naruto. Mommy's here. Mommy loves you. Mommy won't let anything happen to you ever again." She kisses the top of his head as he continues to cry out all the sadness he had been suppressing. Mito runs over, wrapping her arms around Naruto. Kushina moves one of her arms to hug Mito. Hinata smiles from where she's standing with tears slipping out of her eyes as she watches the family of three stand there, together at last.

**Vanex: _There you go. One family reunion. What a way to start off the new year, eh? Now, I bet I have directed all the fan rage at Kakashi for trying to kill both Naruto and Hinata. That reminds me. Hey, Kakashi! I forgot about your Christmas present, so I got you a New Years present instead!_**

**Kakashi:_ Really?_**

**Vanex: _Yeah, it's this special necklace. Here, put it on!_**

**(Kakashi shrugs and puts the necklace on.)**

**Kakashi: _Thanks, I guess._**

**Vanex: (Grins.)_ You're welcome Kakashi. By the way, that necklace has a special power._**

**Kakashi: _What is it?_**

**Vanex: _Sit!_**

**(Kakashi slams headfirst into the ground. He gets up and tries to remove it.)**

**Kakashi: _What the hell? It won't come off!_**

**Vanex: _It's a special necklace from the Inuyasha universe. However, this one is even more special._**

**Kakashi: _What do you mean?_**

**Vanex: _The necklace will respond to not only me, but all of my readers. And they are all pissed at you for trying to kill Naruto and Hinata. You better start running, even though it won't help you._**

**Kakashi: _Oh shit! _(Runs away.)**

**Vanex: _That will keep my readers entertained until I release the next chapter. Happy New Year, everyone! See you all next time!_**


	5. Chapter 4

**Vanex: _Hello all! I know I've been absent lately, but life has been keeping me busy, plus I'm working on my own original work. Yeah, you read that right. Something completely original. It'll be complex and possibly more than one book. It's too soon to say for sure. _**

_**With that out of the way, let's get to the chapter.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Normal Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

*Scene Change*

**Chapter 4**

"Kakashi and Kurenai, my team and I are here as your backup of youth!"

Kurenai smiles. "It's good that you're joining us, Gai."

Maito Gai gives off his usual grin. "Well, there's now way that I'm going to let my eternal rival have all the fun!"

Kakashi looks up from his book. "I'm sorry, Gai, did you say something?"

"Damn you Kakashi and your hip, cool attitude!"

Kurenai clears her throat. "Gai, I need to speak with you in private."

Gai nods and follows Kurenai outside. "What's wrong, Kurenai?"

"It concerns Mission Omega."

Gai's face turns completely serious. Mission Omega is the directive given to the S-Rank Mission to ensure the safety of Naruto. Like Kurenai and Asuma, Gai was also assigned the mission. "What happened?"

"Naruto and Hinata vanished yesterday. I took Shino and Kiba with me to try to locate them. We tracked them to the bridge where Kiba was able to pick up the scent of Kakashi. The trail was lost there, but then Kiba smelled blood and we followed him down the shoreline. Where the blood was found, the scents of Naruto and Hinata were picked up again, along with the scent of the missing-nin Zabuza. We believe that Kakashi attempted to kill Naruto and Hinata, but they were saved by Zabuza, who revealed that he works for someone other than Gato, someone we believe is interested in Naruto."

Gai nods. "Does Kakashi know that you're on to him?"

"No. We've only told him that they may be in the hands of Zabuza. Before I do anything, I'm waiting for the results of the blood-test on the sample I found." She looks up to see a messenger hawk circling above her. "And there it is."

The hawk lands next to Kurenai, who removes the parcel attached to its leg. The hawk flies off again while Kurenai starts reading the paper. Gai gives her a look. "Well?"

"It's just as I feared. The blood is Naruto's. The Hokage is ordering us to not do anything to Kakashi, unless either Naruto or Hinata are found. We still have no proof outside of his scent that he did anything to either of them."

*Scene Change*

Naruto is sitting in the hotel room, thinking over what his mother said after their reunion. She wants him to leave Konoha and come live with her in Uzushio. Now, while Konoha wasn't exactly kind to him, it was still his home. Can he really just turn his back on them?

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looks up to see Hinata standing there. "Hinata-chan, is something wrong?"

She sits down next to him. "I think that's what I should be asking you."

Naruto sighs. "I don't know what I should do. Go with my family or stay with my home."

"Is Konoha really your home, Naruto-kun?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's a saying my mom once told me. She told me home is where the heart is. Where is your heart, Naruto-kun? In Konoha, or with your family?"

"Both. Well, it's with my family, and with my friends in Konoha, including you. If I go to Uzushio, I'll have to say goodbye to you."

"Not really."

Naruto is confused. "What do you mean?"

"Your mom didn't only offer you the chance to go to Uzushio. She gave me the same offer."

This surprises Naruto. "Really? What did you say?"

"That I would only go with them if you go as well."

Naruto's eyes widen. "Why?"

"Because I want to be free of my family. I can't even think of them as family, except for my deceased mother. I envy you, Naruto-kun. While your family is smaller than mine, they all love you. You remember what I said about the heart and home? My heart is with you, Naruto-kun. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

Naruto nods. "I've made my choice."

*The next day...*

Teams 7, 8, and 9 arrive on the bridge to find Zabuza and Haku waiting for them. The Konoha teams prepare to fight, when Zabuza raises his hand. "I am not your enemy. In fact, today I'm here to request your help in taking down Gato and his men."

Kurenai steps forward. "First, tell us what you've done with Naruto and Hinata. We know that you have them."

Zabuza sighs. "First, you should ask your friend Kakashi on why he attack the two with his Lightning Cutter."

Kakashi's eyes narrow. "You expect them to believe your word over mine?"

Zabuza laughs. "Oh, please. For them to know about my involvement, they must have had the Inuzuka pick up my scent. They most likely found your scent there as well and just haven't told you."

"Even if they found my scent, they can't prove that I was there at the time of their disappearance."

"Actually, they can."

Kakashi's eyes widen at the voice behind him. He and the rest of the Konoha ninja quickly jump away from the two hooded and masked strangers that have just appeared.

Kiba's eyes widen. "Kurenai-sensei! The scents of these two plus the one by Zabuza match the other three scents I found near the blood!"

Kurenai's eyes narrow. "Where are Naruto and Hinata?"

The taller of the two masked strangers looks at her. "Dead. After Kakashi struck Naruto with the Lightning Cutter and knocked Hinata off the bridge, they managed to reach the shoreline. We tried to help them, but they reacted in fright in encountering Zabuza again. They ended up jumping back into the water. They ended up going over the nearby waterfall."

Everyone is shocked. Kakashi growls. "Again, I see no proof that I'm involved in this!"

The taller figure shakes her head. "I suppose so."

Kurenai, who has been holding back her tears at hearing confirmation that Naruto and Hinata are dead, manages to ask a question. "Who are you?"

"I can't tell you. Not yet. Soon, I'll be able to. But right now, we need to work together. Gato is on to Zabuza's betrayal and is bringing his whole army here. We need your help to take them down."

"Why should we help you?"

"Because if Gato gets past us, he'll attack the village and kill your client and his family."

Gai looks at her. "The stranger makes a good point! I think we should help them!"

Kurenai nods. "Very well, we'll help you. Teams, get into positions!"

The Konoha ninja, nod and all scramble to get into position. Sakura stands with Tazuna, protecting him.

Soon enough, Gato and his army of mercenaries arrive. Gato walks in front of his army and sneers at Zabuza. "I offer you the riches that you want and you turn against me? How sad. At least I don't have to pay you now. You will all die here. Well, most of you." He turns to his men. "Kill all the men! Leave the women alive, as I'm sure they'll be able to provide certain pleasures."

The men grin at the prospect and all charge at the group of ninja. Zabuza, Haku, and the two masked strangers immediately jump into the group of mercenaries and start cutting them down. Gai, Kakashi, and Kurenai jump in a second later followed by the genin. Gato is shocked to see the small group of ninja decimate his entire mercenary force. He starts trembling when the taller of the two masked strangers walks over to him. "Please spare me! I can give you anything you want! Anything!"

"There is nothing you could give me that I would want, especially after that comment about turning myself and my fellow women here into sex slaves. Besides, I came here with the intent of executing you. For you see, you've been found guilty of crimes against not just Nami no Kuni, but all five major countries as well as a few minor ones. Your sentence is death and I will carry it out." She quickly decapitates him, ending the tyrant once and for all.

They all hear laughter and turn to see Sasuke standing over some of the dead mercenaries. He looks at them and they can see his eyes have changed. "Finally, my Sharingan has awakened! Now, I am one step closer to destroying _**him**_!"

Kakashi sends Sasuke an eye-smile. "Good job, Sasuke. Once we get back to Konoha, I'll begin training you in how to use it."

Kurenai sighs at seeing Kakashi's favoritism towards Sasuke. "Let's go back to the house. With Gato gone, the construction of the bridge should go smoothly." She turns to talk to Zabuza and his allies, only to find that they have left.

*Scene Change*

A boat is traveling from Nami no Kuni towards Uzu no Kuni. On board, the two masked strangers have taken off their masks and lowered their hoods to reveal that they are Kushina and Mito. Kushina smiles at the other two who are with them. "I'm glad you decided to come with us."

Naruto and Hinata smile. Both of their headbands have a scratch mark. "It wasn't that difficult of a choice," says Naruto.

**Vanex: _Well, that ends this chapter. I bet you're all pissed that Kakashi is getting away with his attempt at murdering Naruto and Hinata. Don't worry, Kushina won't let him get away with it. Anyway, Naruto and Hinata have turned against Konoha and joined Uzushio. What will happen next? You'll have to wait to find out! See you all next time!_**


End file.
